Year: 2018 – Province: Quebec
Transcription – Félix Arguin and Guillaume Laporte-2018 Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence
[Black screen fades up to close-up of man in interview setting, against a mottled background. Music playing.]
[Caption: Félix Arguin, Séminaire de Sherbrooke]
Félix Arguin: The main factor that promotes student learning is motivation; it is the engine of learning.
[Cut to Guillaume speaking in interview setting (caption: Guillaume Laporte, Séminaire de Sherbrooke), alternating with voice-over accompanied by photos, as follows: Guillaume pointing with a screwdriver toward two students working in a room; Félix wearing headphones looking at a computer as a student reads a text into a microphone.]
Guillaume Laporte: When we are able to do something for someone on the other hand, to help someone, to have a little influence on our community—there is great pride and then it directly influences the motivation. So, everyone can be helpful, and if we can help someone else in the process, in learning, well it's an added value.
[Return to Félix in interview setting alternating with the voice over accompanied by a video and photos, as follows: Félix speaking into a microphone, next to a podium, addressing his fellow recipients, with Guillaume in the background; Félix surrounded by six students sitting or standing in front of a microphone, a tablet and a computer; and Guillaume and seven students around a workbench on which rests a dismantled electric guitar and several tools.]
Félix Arguin: The perfect context, I do not pretend to know what it is, but I think it is in line with collaboration—real collaboration between the student and the teacher, but also between the student and his community. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, the school makes a good village, but we can enlarge the village to include the whole community.
[Back to Guillaume in interview setting alternating with voice over accompanied by a video of Guillaume speaking animatedly into a mic, next to a podium, with Félix in the foreground.]
Guillaume Laporte: Maybe the village should be outside the school. Maybe it's the community, or maybe even the whole world. So, there are links to be made externally. If we can get our students out of school, that's probably the best context, in my opinion.
[Return to Félix in the interview setting alternating with voice over accompanied by a photo and a video, as follows: Félix accompanied by three students in front of a green screen, one of the students is holding a tablet and large lights are pointed towards them; Félix standing at the microphone in front of two screens on which are projected cubes with social media logos.]
Félix Arguin: There is no doubt that technology can have positive impacts if, of course, we provide our students with a solid grounding in technology and digital citizenship. Technology can easily simplify repetitive tasks, but it also open up opportunities for collaboration. It also allows students to develop a greater critical sense.
[Back to Guillaume in the interview setting alternating with voice over accompanied by a photo of Guillaume and two students around a table at which they work with electrical tools.]
Guillaume Laporte: It’s important that technology skills in the 21st century—the skills that employers are looking for—are often related to technology. But, at the same time, it’s not necessary to use technologies for creativity or problem solving, but there is an advantage in being able to be versatile with technologies and to use them effectively. Then it can improve our creativity and efficiency in our daily lives, in our jobs, but also it allows us to learn more independently.
[Back to Félix in the interview setting alternating with voice over accompanied by a video of him speaking to recipients with a microphone, in front of a screen.]
Félix Arguin: Do not be afraid to try. Be curious. I think there is no better model for a student than to see his teacher learning on a daily basis.
[Back to Guillaume in interview setting alternating with the voice-over accompanied by a video of Guillaume speaking at the microphone, Félix in the foreground. Back to Guillaume in interview situation to conclude.]
Guillaume Laporte: Surround yourself with people who have energy, who have a passion, who want to surpass themselves, who want the good of the students, and to always be on the lookout around you, to see what links I can make with my community or to improve certain projects, to always see what can be done better or what we can improve. Then, not to be afraid to take risks because we are in a great profession and we can be proud of it.
[Fade to black.]
[Cut to white screen, with the Government of Canada FIP followed by the Canada Wordmark.]
Certificate of Excellence Recipients
Séminaire de Sherbrooke
195, rue Marquette
Sherbrooke, QC J1H 1L6
School telephone: 819-563-2050
School website: www.seminaire-sherbrooke.qc.ca (French only)
Twitter: @FelixArguin, @techsdes
Subjects and grades taught: French and Drama, Secondary 3 and 4
Since two heads are better than one, Félix Arguin and Guillaume Laporte decided to combine their strengths to implement innovative projects that have transformed they teach French and English. Their integration of technology and creation of hands-on experiences have brought another dimension to their pedagogy and prepared their students to deal with the ever-changing world.
Teaching approach
Félix and Guillaume love technology, a passion that has led them to create new teaching approaches that see students driving school projects. Their influence has transformed both their students' relationship with technology and that of the school.
In the Classroom
- Mass implementation of digital devices in the classroom (iPad, G Suite, interface Classroom) in order to reinvent teaching approaches and to integrate innovative French and English study projects
- Development of two techno-collaborative rooms where students can create robots and online tutorials; the rooms are also used by other teachers
- Creation of the #Suiveznostraces (follow our tracks) project, an initiative in which student learning ties into the needs of community organizations: students recycle ROBOT X electronic material, adapt and read fairy tales in early childhood centres, and create ad campaigns—texts, videos, social media —for community organizations (Fédération des écoles privées du Québec Innovation award at the secondary level in 2017)
Outstanding achievements
- The Séminaire de Sherbrooke's robotics team, Évolution 2626, supervised by Guillaume, won the President's Award at the 2012 FIRST tournament
- Évolution 2626 also set up an annual summer robotics camp for children ages 6–12 (winner of the 2014 Concours québécois en entrepreneuriat award – Estrie)
- Guillaume is a certified Google educator and Félix is one of six certified Google trainers in Quebec, distinctions that have allowed them to share their knowledge of G Suite
Rave reviews
"Feeling the synergy they bring to the classroom and seeing them dream out loud, dare to pursue the unimaginable, tear down obstacles, create opportunities and win over skeptics is what made me realize that these were truly exceptional, extraordinary teachers."